Posted by Snow on April 28, 2001 at 11:08:04:
In Reply to: People of Kittaning...from MIKE the P.A. posted by Michael G. khalil on March 31, 2001 at 08:19:04:
Mike
I don't know if you will ever return to this website, but I wanted to thank you personally for your kindness during the filming and now here on this board. It was a pleasure to meet you and the others, Meghann, Mikah, Angelo, Sean, Ken and Shiloh, etc.
You were all very kind during the cold and stressful days of filming. Joe Kontra, Mark Pellington and Robert Grasmere were also very kind and patient with me and everyone else and tried to accomodate all of us as much as humanly possible. After my
experience with this movie, I have so much more respect for everyone that is invloved in bringing a movie to the big screen. You all spent some many long hours (more than the eatras did) in the cold and often bad weather and yet you were willing to
talk to us, let us take your pictures and ask you an endless number of questions.
Yes, being an extra, at times was extremely cold (and a little boring), but I learned so much and got to meet so many wonderful people from the crew and my fellow extras. It is an experience that I will never forget, even if I am never seen
in the movie. Thanks again for being so kind and making my first experience as an "extra" something special. Maybe I'll have the chance to work with you again. If not, good luck in all you do. Please pass my good thougts on to the others if
you have the opportunity.
Snow
> Dearest people of Kittaning!
> After I found your website I glanced at most of the messages posted from people, and was a little disappointed that so many of you had negative experiences being extras. You have to understand that the scale of this movie is so huge, and that so many people were needed in non-descript roles that not everybody could be a KEY EXTRA. As a SET P.A. I delt with most of you, placing you in cars, etc. etc. and I can tell you that the majority of the people sitting in the cars for hours on end were not disappointed. As far as damage done to your cars, (I'm not a mechanic, I'm a filmmaker) I can tell you that leaving them running with the lights on is in no way harmful. If anything, it kept you warm while we stood outside freezing. Every car I eventually jumped in when the filming began was filled with people who were blown away by the fact that HOLLYWOOD was in Kittaning, and that they didn't care what their role was, as long as they could help. Aside from being called all sorts of names, and cursed by several locals, I'd say the filming went well, and should always be remembered as one of the biggest things to happen to your town. I made many friends up there during the month of March, and won't forget any of you! You all know who you are...........!
> Carla Densmore, Rose Stitt, Mary ann Dodson, Snow, Ellen Macafee, LuAnn, Amy Campbell, Marty, Eric Claypool, Tammy Mook, Jean Chestnut, etc. etc. The list goes on and on. I never once thought of anyone being guests to our movie set....we were guests in YOUR TOWN, and I tried as much as possible to get people in better position to see what was going on, and even got yelled at by my bosses several times for being to lax with the on-lookers. If it had been up to me, EVERYONE would have their bright, shining, smiling faces on the silver screen!!!!!!! I hope this explains why sometimes things went like they did. You're all wonderful people, and I thank you for welcoming me to your town. I'll never forget it...
> MIKE KHALIL
> Mike the PA